Oscillating piston-engine



0. H. VENNER.

OSOILLATING PISTON ENGINE.

(No Model'.)

Patented July 10, 1883.

ILlK/EIltEJK Q M wa w 4W4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORANGE H. VENNER, OF MALDEN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE V. VEN NER, OF BOSTON, AND ALEXANDER M. W'OOD, OF SOMERVILLE,

MASSACHUSETTS.

QSCILLATING PlST'ON-ENGlNE.'

srncrrrcnrron forming 5st of Letters Patent No. 280,974, dated. July 10, 1883.

' Application filed March 23,1883. [No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Bcit known that I, ORANGE H. VENNER, of Malden, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in reciprocating engines, which'may be called an Oscillating Piston- Engine, of which the following is a description sulficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the ac companying drawings, forming'a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section through.

the cylinder. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same through the dotted line 4 4, seen in Fig. 1, these sections being made to give special illustration to the improvement offered for patent. As any form of valve or governor is applicable, such parts appear only incidentally in the drawings. v

A A, Fig. 1, shows the cylinder seen here, with a single central cylinder head or abutment, X. In Fig. 2 this abutment is seen filling the whole diameter of the cylinder. It is thus seen that the longitudinal section of the cylinder is a concentric segment of a circle,

while the transverse section is, as usual, circular.

V V (seen in Fig. 1) are the steam-ports on either side of the cylinder-head X. Through these steam is admitted alternately by valves, as usual, which also provide, in the ordinary way, for the exhaust which escapes under the valve-seat to the exhaust -pipe G, which is seen in both figures, joining the main exhaustpipe G. 1 M is a shaft in the axis of the longitudinal section of the cylinder.

Y Y is a disk or arms rigidly fast to the axial shaft M by keys and screws, or other usual deaxial shaft M is clearly. shown.

' the working parts of the engine.

, at the completion of the stroke.

'2, Y is seen occupying a very small portion of the exhaust-chamber N. in 1 the pistonheads are shown in the position where B has just completed its stroke, the arrow indicating the escaping exhaust at E. At the same moment B is receiving steam at V, and the rocking or vibrating movement imparted to the In Fig. 2 this shaft M is shown projecting to receive the crank or disk 0, with crank-pin 1?, connecting rod B, which is attached to the crank .of.

driving-shaft S, with its fly-wheel NV. The valve (Z is shown in valve-chest D as operated by strikers O O on the crankdisk O, which alternately move the lever L. As is here shown, Ohas just opened one port, andwe see the opening also under the valve-seat into the exhaust-pipe G, through which a smallpart of the exhaust escapes. I shows the inlet steam pipe which drives the engine. P is an oil-cap for oiling the valvechest and cylinder.

The advantages which I claim are- First,.great simplicity and compactness of I dispense with slides and cross-head entirely.

Secondly. I claim great economy in the use of steam by greatly reducing friction. I have no piston-rod to pack, no slides or cross-head to absorb power, and almost no labor is-used up in forcing out exhaust.

Thirdly. These engines can be run at a rate of speed impossible in any other reciprocating engine, by reason of the instantaneous exhaust The engine from which these drawings are made has been frequently driven at a speed of about one thou sand. revolutions per minute. A glance at the drawings shows that steam once escaped into the exhaust-chamber N presses equally on both cylinder-heads in finding vent at G Lastly, these engines can be built more cheaply, operated at less expense, and be placed within a compass impossible for any other of equal power.

Another advantage is found in the fact that the eccentricity of the cranks is not dependent on the length of stroke, but can be adjusted independently, the length of stroke depending upon the curve of the cylinder A, and consequent distance from its center to the-center of the axial shaft M.

If compactness only is required, combined with cheapness of construction, my engine can be run as an ordinary engine by shortening the cylinder, providing two heads to it, lengthening the Valve-chest, andusing only-one piston-head. Of course in this case there would be no instantaneous exhaust.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is altogether in connection with a reciprocating engine.

I am aware that in rotary engines a curved cylinder and an axial shaft have been used.

I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a reciprocating engine, the curved cylinder A, terminating in the exhaust-chamber N, combined with the cutting-back of the cylinder ends E E, all substantiallyrasde scribed, and operating as and for the purpose described. 4

2. Ina reciprocating engine, the combination of the curved cylinder A, and the axial shaft M, rocked by one. or more piston-heads, B, through the arm or disk Y, all substantially as described, and operating asand for the purpose described.

3. In a reciprocating engine, the combination of the. curved cylinder A, terminating in the exhaust-chamber N, the cutting-back of the cylinder E E, thecentral head or abutment, X, the axial shaft M, the arms or disk Y, and the double-headed piston B B, all substantially as described, and operating as and -for the purpose described;

ORANGE H. YENNER.

Witnesses: 4

A. ETRU MAN, J B. MAYHEW. 

